Reassuring Her Ani
by Marie King
Summary: Re-edit and Re-post Set during ROTS when Anakin has a horrifying nightmare about her Padmé is determined to reassure her beloved husband that everything is fine


Padmé was extremely grateful that she and her husband were finally together again.

They had been apart for five long months because of Anakin's involvement in the Outer Rim Sieges.

She was also extremely relived about how he had taken the news that she was pregnant.

For Padmé had been terrified waiting in the shadows of the Senate Office Building's giant pillar columns wondering how he would take this shocking, unprepared news.

Luckily for her Anakin had not only understood he had been ecstatic.

As she was sitting in her senate pod half listening to the angry debates around her she thought back to that evening.

As soon as Padmé had gotten word that her dear husband was back she was one of the first people at the Senate Office Building, she had slipped behind the giant pillar columns hiding in their vast shadows waiting for for her husband to sense her presence and come to her were they would have their own reunion.

Which they did and it was more wonderful than she could ever have imagined it would be.

Padmé glanced around the senate one last time and feeling rather uninterested and tired decided that she wanted to beat Anakin home so they could have their first night together in five months.

Turning to Captain Typho she said warmly "Captain I'd like to retire now."

Typho replied confused "But m'lady I thought you were going to stay for the entire session that is what you normally do."

Padmé replied warmly "I know that Captain it's just that I like it very much if you took me home now."

Typho said formally "Very well m'lady if that is what you wish."

Padmé smiled as she and Moteé followed him out of the senate pod.

She stepped out of her speeder and politely accepted the Captain's goodnight.

Then she dismissed her two handmaidens and sent C-3PO on a busywork errand.

Padmé walked up the soft sweeping staircase that led to her bedroom.

She took off her senatorial robes and rummaged through her closet for a nightgown to wear.

After a few minutes of searching she found one in a silk satin floor length pale steel blue night dress, it had thick altar straps, in the middle there was a silver blue broach attached on each side of the broach were six strands of pearls.

Padmé slipped it on and immediately loved how the thick straps gave her critical support and took much needed weight off of her back.

She looked at herself in her vanity mirror and especially liked how the dress fitted her growing belly.

The strands of pearls on each side of the sliver blue broach, fell elegantly on her arms, and shined brilliantly in the dim light of her bedroom.

Padmé then slid on her snippet japor amulet with which she now had it looped on a turquoise crystal chain for the jerba leather she used to wear had long since frayed and worn out.

She sat at her vanity and brushed her thick gleaming coiled brown hair pulling the top half of it up fastening it in place with a crystal studded tiara.

Padmé then took her hair brush from its place on the left hand side of her vanity and started towards the balcony.

Before she made her way to it she looked at her reflection in the vanity's mirror once more and thought _Ani my love prepared to be shocked._

She then walked out onto the balcony.

Padmé was surprised to see that Anakin had beaten her there.

Smiling happily he ran to her and once again that day swept her off her feet and into his arms spinning her around four times.

As Anakin was going for a fifth time Padmé took some deep breaths.

Finally she got out forcefully "Ani put me down!"

Stopping mid-spin he set her down gently and replied apologetic "Sorry Padmé it's just I'm so glad that I'm with you again, guess I just let my excitement get the better of me."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him softly.

Padmé then said understandably "I know Anakin I know just please try to be a bit more careful all right?"

Anakin smiled kissed her then replied softly "Yes my angel I will be I promise you I will be."

Padmé smiled and said contently "Okay Ani."

They held hands gently for a few minutes staring into each others eyes showing the love for one another the look in their eyes showing just how deep and true what they had together was neither of them wanting or caring to speak.

After a while she broke away to go over to stand by the balcony's railing and brushed her long coiled brown hair.

Anakin stayed by the entrance to apartment soaking in the perfection of her beauty.

Padmé turned and said optimistically "Ani I want to have our baby back home on Naboo, we can go to the lake country, to Varykino."

He smiled and replied reverently "Oh, why there?"

Padmé sighed and answered fondly "Well it is the place that means the most to us."

With that she went to him and wound her arms around his waist and gave him a deep lingering kiss, he returned the kiss with equal passion.

They came apart slowly and Anakin buried his face in her hair and breathed in deeply.

Anakin whispered passionately "That is certainly true Padmé it does mean a great deal to us." He kissed her tenderly.

Padmé brought her head up and replied softly "Varykino is incredibly isolated no one will know we are there, it's the perfect place were all _three_ of us can be safe and happy, after all I had many great times at Varykino when I went there for school retreat."

She turned back to look at him and smiled with a maternal glow about her twirling strains of her russet spiral hair around her fingers.

Padmé said motherly "I want to leave early so I can start preparing the baby's room I already know the best spot, right by the gardens the roses that grow there in the spring are just beautiful, and the view from it is truly breathtaking, I should be ready to leave in four months."

She turned to him again still with a maternal glow and asked warmly "What do you think Ani?"

Instead of answering her Anakin replied breathlessly "You are just so incredibly...beautiful."

Padmé smiled and said embarrassingly "Oh Anakin stop it, it's only because I'm so in love with you, it makes me shine."

He laughed and said insistently "No, no it's because I'm so in love with you."

Padmé gave him a teasing look and replied wryly "So are you saying that love has blinded you?"

He laughed again and replied lovingly "Well that's not exactly what I meant."

Padmé said teasingly "Anakin I've been married to you for three years I think I know that it's probably true." she laughed heartily.

Later that night in their bed Padmé scooted over to Anakin she wanted to wrap her arms around him to pull him close to her however when she felt his side of the bed she quickly realized that her dear husband wasn't there.

Instead the silken sheets of the bed were cold and vacant after a moment Padmé also realized that they were dampened with sweat.

She looked towards the soft sweeping staircase that led to the veranda and thought with a slight sadness _Oh my Ani._

With a great deal of difficulty Padmé got out of bed and made her way to the veranda.

She was right in her guess that Anakin had been out here after all he was sitting on right hand sofa staring out onto the night scape of Coruscant.

She went to him and rubbed the back of his head gently.

After a moment of silence Padmé asked warmly "What is it, Ani?"

Anakin turned towards her sighing deeply he wrapped his arms around her waist and brought her close to him.

He again breathed deeply and replied remorsefully "I'm fine sweetheart I didn't mean to wake you ,go back to sleep angel I'll be there soon."

Padmé smiled sadly and said unconvinced "You know that I won't possibly be able too, without knowing why you are up in the middle of the night, so please Anakin what's wrong?"

He smiled weakly and again that night instead of answering her question he dodged it and picked up her amulet he then fingered it softly a wistful expression on his face.

After a while lightly touching it Anakin took a deep breath and said nostalgically "I remember how happy you looked the day I gave this to you, I also remember thinking you wouldn't like it, thinking that it would be too plain."

Padmé smiled in spite of herself, she kissed Anakin soft and slow.

She took his hand of flesh and squeezed it softly.

Padmé then replied reverently "I did and always have loved this amulet, I love it so much because you made it for me."

Then after a few moments had passed she realized that Anakin was trying to distract her form the matter at hand.

It angered her through the anger soon faded away when she saw the deep unbridled pain in her husband's eyes, Padmé vowed to find out the cause of this pain and help him deal with it.

She squeezed his hand once and replied slightly annoyed "Anakin how long is it gonna take for us to be open and honest with each other?"

Anakin took a deep breath and turned to her again.

He then said anxiously "It was a dream."

She nodded and replied soothingly "I see was it bad?"

Anakin said with a great deal of difficulty "It was like the ones I used to have about my mother just... before she died."

Padmé said trustingly "And?"

He took another deep breath and replied voice strained with emotion "It was about you, my angel."

Padmé rubbed his back softly she whispered tenderly "Tell me Ani...please."

Anakin stated falsely "It was only a dream."

He squeezed her hand softly once and then kissed it tenderly.

Anakin then he got up form the sofa and went to the edge of the veranda.

Knowing he still had something more to tell her Padmé stayed silent.

Anakin took a deep breath that made his shoulders shake finally he said horrified "You are going to die in childbirth."

She placed her hands on her middle gingerly and asked quietly "I see, what about the baby, did you see what happens to it?"

Anakin sighed again and said frightfully uncertain "I don't know, oh my angel I just... don't know."

She shook her head.

Padmé softly and firmly wound her arms around his waist.

She took a deep breath and replied reassuringly "Anakin it was only a dream it doesn't mean it's going to happen."

Anakin shook his head and said fiercely "I won't let this dream become real Padmé I won't loose you I can't...I can't even bear the mere thought of losing you."

Padmé looked downward for a second then she brought her head up to Anakin's.

She took a deep breath and said to him realistically"This baby is defiantly going to change our lives that is for certain, I doubt that Queen Apailana will allow me to continue to serve in the Senate and if the Council discovers you're the father you'll be expelled-"

Anakin cut her off waving his left hand at her as he said knowingly " Yes, Padmé I know."

She looked at him and asked hopefully" Do you think Obi-Wan will be able to help us somehow?"

For a split second she thought she had seen her love's eyes grow dark as soon as she had said Obi-Wan's name.

He smiled at her and said somewhat harshly "No we don't need Obi-Wan's help."

Anakin then smiled down at her fondly.

He said lovingly "Our baby isn't a problem Padmé it's a gift a wonderful, beautiful gift."

Having nothing more to say Padmé buried her face in his strong broad chest letting him hold her know somehow some way they'd find a way to work this out.

After a while being in his arms she gently pulled herself away from him.

Padmé looked at him adoringly and said warmly "It's getting terribly cold out here come upstairs now, Ani come up to our bed with me."

She then kissed him softly on the lips.

Anakin slipped his hard mechanical hand in her soft human one and said softly "All right I will, I love you."

He then kissed the top of her head gently.

Padmé squeezed his hand once and replied passionately "I love you Ani."

They then walked hand and hand up the soft sweeping staircase and into their bedroom.

As they got into bed together she had hoped she had reassured her troubled husband.

Instead of laying down Padmé sat up against the headboard of the bed.

Seeing this Anakin did the same, he gently placed his head in her lap and stroked her belly softly, she in turn caressed his hair.

After a few moments in silence Padmé replied warmly "Ani I swear to you that nothing bad is going to happen to me."

He smiled at her in the dim darkness and kissed her tenderly.

Finally Anakin exhaled and said conflictingly "I love you Padmé."

Padmé smiled back at him and replied softly "I love you, but something more about this is bothering you what is it?"

Anakin exhaled deeply and said frighteningly "Padmé, I can't help how I feel about this dream, my dreams they are known to prophetic, I mean I dreamed about my mother being in danger and she was, and I was too late to save her."

He tenderly kissed her belly and said determinedly "I won't be too late with you, I _will _save you _both_ my sweet, sweet angel."

Padmé softly kissed the top of his head and replied comfortingly "You have nothing to worry about my love, I am making plans to go back to Naboo and when my time comes I will be with the very best med-droids on Varykino, they will make sure the baby and I are completely safe."

Anakin once again took a deep breath and exhaled deeply.

He then agilely pulled himself up and buried his face in the nape of her neck, she in turn wrapped her arms around his neck and gently kissed the top of his head.

After a while being entangled in each other Anakin slowly and carefully disentangled himself form their embrace.

He kissed Padmé softly on the lips.

Anakin then said promisingly "Padmé I have been thinking about this for awhile now and when it is time I want to go with you."

Padmé gasped and replied shocked "Ani please no, if you do leave around the same time I do people will talk I will not let you jeopardize everything that we have both worked so hard for!"

Anakin said protectively "Padmé please the only way I can guarantee your safety is to be with you."

She retorted annoyed "No, Anakin it's too risky, you need to trust me and trust my judgment."

He let out a ragged breath and said nervously "Padmé, all I know is I want us to be together all _three _of us."

Padmé took is hand of flesh and kissed it softly.

She then replied diplomatically "We will be Ani we will be, look there is still four more months to speak about this so for now why don't we leave this subject for another time all right?"

Anakin slid back down and resumed the same position on her lap as before, he started to tenderly rub her middle.

Padmé breathed a quiet sigh of relief, she then began to caress his hair and closed her eyes contently.

After a few minutes of silence he asked curiously "So what do you think?"

Padmé replied lazily "About what?"

Anakin rubbed her stomach softly and asked fondly " Boy or a girl?"

She smiled and said intuitively "I think it's a boy."

Anakin kissed her middle softly and replied passionately "Why?"

Padmé smiled again and replied earnestly "Mother's intuition, I suppose, what about you?"

Anakin, grinned and said wryly "I think it's a girl."

She asked contently "Why is that?"

Anakin replied softly "I felt it kick just now and it's just as strong as you are."

Padmé blushed and said lovingly "Oh Ani stop it."

He gently pushed himself up wrapped his arms around her neck, and kissed her passionately, Padmé leaned into his embrace.

They broke apart and Anakin said adoringly "I love you."

She smiled and replied warmly "I love you, now sleep my dear Ani."

Anakin kissed her again and said "All right, good night my angel."

She smiled and replied reverently "Good night, Anakin."

The couple then drifted off into a content sleep.


End file.
